The hard edges of Singapore’s rules and attitudes need to be softened in the face of the spectacle of people living along beaches.
The root of the problem of homelessness is fundamentally one of mindsets. While our society has placed a premium on self-reliance, we cannot simply say, to use a Cantonese brushoff: “You die your problem”.
On the programmatic front, while Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) Dr Vivian Balakrishnan took centre stage in Parliament to defend the government’s lack of action on homelessness, eradicating homelessness requires the attention of all ministries and Singaporeans.
In the first place, to assign responsibility purely to MCYS would be to overlook the problem that is created by some of the policies of the HDB, which is under the Ministry of National Development (MND).
To understand MND’s role in the creating of Singapore’s homeless, affordability is key.
HDB’s insistence on using the Market Subsidy Pricing policy as opposed to the Cost Plus model of pricing used by practically every country in the world for public housing may be the root cause of increasing unaffordability.
Several articles on the internet have highlighted how the latter pricing approach actually leads to higher housing prices and profits for HDB, while misleading the public into thinking that the Government is actually providing a subsidy for public housing, as opposed to selling flats at a percentage less than market value.
For a public institution whose mission is to provide low cost public housing, market value should not be the starting point of public housing pricing.
This is even more true when you consider that this pricing model might be what ultimately leads to the loss of homes and CPF for many Singaporeans.
Just consider: Singapore has arguably one of the highest housing loan delinquency rates in the world, with about 7 per cent of HDB concessionary housing loans being in delinquency of over 3 months.
The Market Subsidy Pricing policy impacts not just new HDB flat prices which means larger housing loans, but affects resale flat prices and open market rents to which HDB rental flats are also linked for tenants whose monthly household incomes are above $800.
Despite this, the Government has consistently refused to provide the break-down of the costs of building HDB flats, despite questions in Parliament and newspaper forums almost every year.
Further, the 30-month time bar to apply for a HDB rental flat for those who have sold a flat coupled with the debarment of those who have sold two flats, often means that it may take as long as 60 months (30 months time bar plus up to another 30 months on the waiting list) to get a rental flat.
Declining real wages for low-wage workers also needs to come under the spotlight. Singapore also has one of the highest public housing prices in terms of the ratio of prices to median wages.
MOM’s challenge is to introduce greater transparency into it’s foreign labour policies to assuage Singaporean’s concerns, while taking steps to ensure working conditions and incomes for those in low-wage occupations improve.
Shift the paradigm
An attitude of putting people first and recognizing the inherent dignity of every human being is the first step to ensuring fairer outcomes all around.
No one would deny that those who find themselves homeless might have made some bad decisions. However, turning them into refugees of society for their mistakes is not the natural or conscionable conclusion of a culture of self reliance.
Singapore has yet to have a meaningful debate on the role the State should play in public service provision: the dogmatically minimalist attitude has been unilaterally decided by the ruling party, and then sloganeered into the national consciousness by a compliant press.
The Online Citizen has consistently taken the position for provision. We as a country have to take a stand against the blight of poverty in a city of plenty. We need to ask if our “national value” of self-reliance is so weak as to be undermined by providing for those who have made mistakes. We believe that the answer is no.
if we hav no uninhabitat rental flat of 1/2 room or 1 hall hdb flat availiable..we understand the government issues..but the problemo is..we do hav EMPTY flats availiable…lots of to begin with..unfortunateLEE in leekuanyew’s eye..he onLEE interested in $$ N cts…
so singapOORIUMs.. you all are just not LISTED…
The analysis of likely causes of increasing homelessness needs CONTEXTUAL examination and the solution policy formulation needs to be HOLISTIC in approach.
We can’t blanket ALL homelessness to mere untested hypothesis poor money management when there is NO money to begin with in an environment of increasing joblessness and poverty among households.
It is depressing that foreign guest workers lives better than our own fallen
and the Government in blank denial.
This is NOT acceptable. What happen to national cry of – this is my country, this is my flag and this is my home???
a uniquely Singapore experience for tourists
We need to ask if our “national value” of self-reliance is so weak as to be undermined by providing for those who have made mistakes.
Right question to ask and I agree with yr answer.
Problem is one man still thinks self-reliance is a fragile flower. One SMU adjunct professor once asked, “It will kill him, juz to give out an additional dollar”.
Can’t agree with you more, Anonymous.
-
It is the whole picture that is Singapore. Homelessness is only one aspect of the Singapore society that is a result of it going wrong.
-
Lack of jobs for Singaporeans, stagnant or decreasing wages, rising cost of living, educational policies going wrong, shift in National focus in terms of how the economy should grow and which direction it is heading into are just some examples.
-
The other biggest contributing factors are: firstly, a government that has lost touched with its people, deaf and blind to the people’s cry for fairness in a competetive world.
-
Secondly, a civil service that is no longer civic-minded but exists to serve the government, wholeheartedly with its mind, heart and soul.
-
Third,a media that continues to give the government the impression that all is well, failing to dig deep into the hearts and minds of Singaporeans and presenting their sentiments as they are.
-
A media that operates more as a mouthpiece of the government more that it should as a voice for the people.
-
The fourth factor is due to the immature mindsets of Singaporeans, thinking and believing that we will always be able to depend on one political party, forgetting that should anything untoward happens in the future, we only have ourselves to turn to, which is as useless as a lone man facing a group of lions in a lion’s den.
Singapore where got ‘homelessness’ issue!!
We have a brilliant National Developmentment Minister who always claim that he builds ‘affordable’ homes for the citizens!! So no one should be left ‘homeless’ cos’ the prices of the houses are ‘affordable’!! So if you are ‘homeless’ it’s your fault and it’s your business!!
See, after taking good care of the citizens’ housing problems with ‘affordable’ housing, and solving all the problems of the supply and demand
factors, with the prices of HDB flats at all time high, our brilliant minister is off to China to teach the Chinese there how to suck eggs!!
We are helping China to build a Eco-City!!
Wow! big deal!!
Ever heard of a Chinese saying, “A horse doesn’t know it has a long face”??
The Government/State Role should be to set clear rules and regulations so the people, the public can participate/live in a way that maximizes/meet their potential, or chose not to.
Singapore’s PAP bloodsuckers goes beyond this. They compete directly with Singaporeans on every front, changing rules as and when it suites their purpose, using the monies collected with their nefarious schemes, they suppress creativity/innovation of Singaporeans, failure is not allowed is their mantra be it marriage, business or education.
PAP then put their cronies into all these GLCs to perpetuate their control/dominance of all aspects of Singaporeans lives.
Final straw is to open the floodgate to cheaper foreigners to compete with Singaporeans, while they increase their (the PAP bloodsuckers) own pay, and subsequently the costs to ALL SINGAPOREANS rich or poor.
These PAP bloodsuckers have to be removed.
its not homelessness that is the problem here, its the gov.
they have lost touch with the people on all matters.
civil servants only can think so much, “which is very little” to preserve a seat for themselves, a selfish way of life here, indoctrinate (brainwashed and soiled daily by media too)through school and in adult life.
ToC misses the point as well on this issue. Its not that the policies have not helped. Just that people have taken the opportunities, wasted it, and now want a second or third or fourth chance.
The failure to understand why people are living at the beaches underlines the inability to understand the issue.
Giving people 100 chances at concessionary housing doesn’t work. It won’t under ANY government, opposition or otherwise.
Selling houses to low income so that it can be churned for profits continuously is a trip down bankruptcy lane.
And worse, no one is suggesting any solutions. Not in the article, not anywhere.
There is one solution that nobody dares to consider cos its political suicide. Buy HDB housing, no sale for 20 years.
Otherwise its just taking advantage of the homeless to play politics as usual. Sad.
I agree somewhat with Lim. HDB has lost its way and must go back to basics.
There’s one Cantonese saying :Poor clay can’t be made into a wall.
That’s the same with foisting homeownership on those who can’t be manage or won’t manage their finances.
In fact, by pushing HDB home ownership on pple who don’t qualify for credit cards is very much like what US lenders have done with a whole segment of borrowers by giving them home loans they have no hope in hell of repaying.
Thank goodness HDB home loans aren;t repackaged and sold to the public; at least I don’t think so!
Eh! Eh! … welcome back Auntielucia. Taking time off from your Paragon shopping? Or have you upgraded to some, more prominent shopping centers already?
-
You left in a huff the last time around and I thought I will never see you back here again. It’s been … what, a year?
-
I am glad to hear you say that HDB has lost its way. Never thought I would hear such a comment from you but hey, we are continually being baffled by the world aren’t we?
-
Stick around, you will see that there are some here who would give you good company. They think like you.
auntielucia 10 May 2010
In fact, by pushing HDB home ownership on pple who don’t qualify for credit cards is very much like what US lenders have done with a whole segment of borrowers by giving them home loans they have no hope in hell of repaying.
………………………..
anywhere in the whole wide world…credit cards qualification is done by the BANKs…not your fathers’ MAS rulin$…PERIOD!!!
than again we all know why you are an AUNT…you still a splinter by any chance? chasin too many Cs..perhaps…
p.s. i used to own 15 credit cards includin AMEX gold..een qualified for the AMEX platium if i so wished to…
today? on 4 debits card visa/master..
so please do not equate hdb ownerships with credit cards holder…
can you used your classic visa card to buy your 1st 2ndhand 3 year ole car?
i can….
GM of Singapore Kindness Movement [SKM] ASKED at TODAYonline Forum, TO TEACH OUR HIGHLY PAID MINISTERS, MPs and SENIOR CIVIL SERVANTS to be KIND.
http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC100506-0000082/We-can-do-better
DON’T THINK THIS WILL HAPPEN, as SKM is a government agency.
In the first instance, when has our PAP government ever been conscionable and answerable to its citizens ?
Almost all of its policies are simply shuffed down our throats without seeking any of our opinion whatsoever :
HDB BTO system
COE & ERP system
CPF Withdrawal & Minimim Sum
CPF Life Annuity plan
Foreign immigration policy
Election GRC & NMP system
Mother Tongue language policy
School streaming system
Public gambling casinos
Public assembly policy
Etc, etc.
Really hope that our PAP will suffer a humiliating defeat like the UK Labour, Japan LDP & Malaysian BN parties to wake them up from their arrogance !
THE SAME MAN ALSO SAID ……….
QUOTE-
‘’ Dr Balakrishnan also berated ‘irresponsible websites’ for circulating the clip.
Now that the facts are out, let’s see whether these people who’ve been propagating falsehoods have the courage and honesty to set the facts right,’ he said, referring both to the TV station and the website.’’
http://theonlinecitizen.com/2010/05/straits-times-reports-tocs-response-to-vivian-balakrishnan/comment-page-2/#comment-144173
——————–
To – MCYS MINISTER, DR. VIVIAN BALAKRISHNAN
WHAT ABOUT WHAT YOU SAID BELOW?
NO FALSEHOODS?
“If you were a poor person, anywhere on this planet, Singapore is the one place ………, where you will have food on the table.
EVEN IF YOU CAN’T AFFORD IT, WE WILL HAVE MEALS DELIVERED TO YOU.’’
[ http://zh.sgforums.com/forums/10/topics/394784?page=1 ]
DR. VIVIAN BALAKRISHNAN, MCYS MINISTER,
SO DO YOU,
”…… have the courage and honesty to set the facts right,….’’
The gist of the problems is absolute power is detrimental to common folks.Our constitution has its loop-holes and are being deviously use by people to perpetuate their hegomony over us -pathetic common folks.We should hope that the system could be changed that any party no matter how “popular” they are;could only be in power for two terms only-this will prevent them from orchestrating their dominance.We’ve witness this scenario for many decades and time is up for a change.I’d enlist all common folks to put aside any differences and decisively produce a change.
Gemami, u must be psychic. As a matter of fact we had lunch at the Paragon today; did some shopping at the supermarket to get the 10pts for every $ spent Passion Card promo, which fyi lasts till May 19.
Myviewsarechallenging: poor uncle/aunt y u so rude? If u can qualify fr so many credit cards gooooood for u… but don’t 4get what Suze Orman said: “Can u afford it? R u out of your mind?”
LOL!
THE MAN DID SAY …………..
‘’ No child in S’pore will be left without a home, says Dr Balakrishnan ‘’
http://app.reach.gov.sg/reach/YourSay/YourDiscussionCorner/tabid/117/ptid/414/page/1/totrecs/15/threadid/3206/forumtype/posts/Default.aspx
” At a forum organised by REACH, the government’s online feedback portal, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, said:
“………..if you were a poor person, anywhere on this planet, Singapore is the one place where you will have a roof over your head, ……..”
http://zh.sgforums.com/forums/10/topics/394784?page=1
The holistic approach is to eradicate the rotten papayas. Root of the problem is that old worm demon infecting the tree.
@AuntieLucia
I would agree that part of the problem is foisting home ownership upon those who are not financially equipped to handle it.
The real world implementation of this policy, of course, is the use of CPF as an artificial forced savings mechanic to coerce these people to purchase flats – given the various restrictions on the use of CPF monies.
I would agree with you that they should never have been given loans in the first place. Typically, such individuals have a low disposable income. In this light, any untoward life event (such as retrenchment) would probably lead to a mortgage default.
We should be questioning why the HDB is willing to extend these people loans DESPITE THE FACT THAT THEY ARE A CLEAR CREDIT RISK.
The answer should be obvious – if these people are not forced to pay for their own housing, the state will be obliged to bear this financial burden.
To offer some perspective, the stringent lending criteria of Australian banks was a key reason why Australian property prices held up during the recent GFC. This ensured that only people who could afford to do so were allowed to purchase property. As a result, the current Australian mortgage default rate is only about 0.5% compared to about 9% for HDB flats.
Even more disturbing is the slew of speeches from ministers claiming that flats are affordable since they can be paid for fully using CPF – conviniently ignoring that this leaves them with very little disposable income or savings. As a result, many of these people end up living from hand to mouth.
My suspicion is that this state of affairs is being deliberately allowed to exist, in line with Singapore’s “no-free-lunch” policy, so the state can abrogate its responsibility to provide for these people.
@lim
“There is one solution that nobody dares to consider cos its political suicide. Buy HDB housing, no sale for 20 years.”
Lim, that is more or less what TOC means by “Cost Plus” model for pricing.
In fact, in most other countries, public housing = no sale at all, or sale at the original price indexed for inflation.
There have been several suggestions on the Internet to “split” HDBs into two categories – an “investment” category which will be allowed to appreciate and a “cost-price” category with restrictions as per your suggestion.
This won’t happen. Why? Simply because everyone needs a flat to stay in.
If the government can make more money from you by forcing you to buy their current “investment” flats, why would they provide you with a cheaper alternative?
no sale for life la, lagi best :)
seriously, you cannot throw money (or houses) to the poor to solve the problem
homeless is cause by choices they made -greed for money, undisciplined spending
Melbourne & Lim,
-
I kind of agree with you. Why should we be allowed to sell our HDB flat in exchange for profit rather than making sure that we have a roof over our heads? What is the real aim of building HDB flats?
-
I believe it boils down to government policies and the need for the government to milk the HDB cash cow.
-
If most of us, at first purchase, are able to purchase something close to our dream home, then I do not see why there is a need to sell it.
-
The problem is the manner in which we are allowed to purchase a flat. We do not have much of a choice when buying it straight from HDB. Unless one is willing to fork out in excess of 200% of HDB prices in the resale market, we will have to make do with that which is available at the time of purchase when buying from HDB.
-
Most of us have entered into a flat purchase which we do not find ideal. It is years after that first purchase that we sell and move into our ‘dream’ home. This is what is stirring the market.
-
If each flat buyer is allowed to buy a flat of their choice at a location they prefer, then I am sure the wheeling and dealing of home ownership will decrease. I am also sure, that most would not mind forking out another 20% to 30% to buy it straight from HDB, a home they know they will stay put in.
-
Once we are able to stabilize this group of flat owners, then we can look at how to bring stability to the re-sale market, particularly those who are in it for investment. One way is to implement what Lim has suggested, a 20 year cap on resale.
-
One thing is for sure, home ownership won’t be as messy as it is now, if the real aim is to provide homes for Singaporeans. A 20 year resale cap would also mean that no one will be selling their homes until their children are all grown up, big enough to fend for themselves.
@ everyone who’s writing sensibly about the housing n the HDB connundrum
1) give every Singapore-born citizen a housing grant of $XXXXXX regardless of income group (same like NS which is income blind) and sex
2)anyone who taps the grant can’t resell property for 10 years
3) anyone who buys a grant-property within the first 20 years of the grant’s exercise must be a Singapore citizen
4) HDB resale property resold (other than the sale made by owner who bought directly from HDB) will be subjected to a sales tax of X%
5) All private property if resold within 10 years of purchase will be subject to a capital gains tax equivalent to existing corporate tax rate…
All rightie! Debate!
Never ind if “AH GONG” made “you” spend your CPF for “A to Zzzzz”. Because it IS ALL ABOUT…………….
$1 for “ME” and 0.1 cent for “you” of course not me. But when “old you” have no money, just sell “your HDB” for some retirement-money! It is as simple as A B C! “Lee Kwang You” always from A to Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!
I don’t envy the HDB job either. Singaporeans, myself included, are picky and fussy when it comes to choosing flat. I don’t blame us.
Everyone wouldn’t mind a Pinnacle at duxton. Auto millionaires at 5 years. Why pick a flat at the new estates only to lose money after X years?
5 years staying in a flat that is not perfect in a society that is predicated on performing and questing for perfection is already far too long.
Asset inflation is not even and there’ll be winners and losers. The dream of 100% ownership is becoming difficult to attain and that’s due to society rather than governance (unless we want government to dictate how we live lives).
I think the focus should be on providing a roof over everyone’s head. If one has made a mistake on housing, the least ANY government can do is to provide lease rentals instead of ownership. Minimal size housing at minimum rentals rather than a diatribe at public home ownership which has benefit most home owners (despite asset inflation which is a valid issue).
Minimal sized housing at minimum rentals for the unlucky. That I think is the crux of the “beach stay” issue.
Subsidized HDB housing? Poppycock! It is market pricing blinded to public of costs statistics. I disagree COMPLETELY with Lim above on fault displacement to the homeless – affordability fell into the dark crevices of political lies. And I can prove that with Government statistics. It is a property price bubble from the mass market to sustain an airbag economy. Without that, Singapore of the future will only be foreign-owned enterprises, a few GLCs and public sector enterprises like PSA, SLA, URA, bureaucrats and an overpaid political class looking over.
When MNCs pulled out, all that remains is neighbourhood shops, bureaucrats and Government.
We need costs transparency, cost-plus pricing, no resale except back to HDB adjusted for inflation index within 20 years and capital gain tax at corporate level for private properties within 3 years to stem out speculation.
But has the Government the political balls to do that? I bet no. Self-interest of the rich and powerful political class benefiting from property speculation overrides.
Who wants to disagree with me?
While i understand the plight of the homeless in this article, i think there are bigger issues especially with policies pertaining to housing. While there are ideas about how increasing prices is ideal to certain bodies…(Think along the lines of increasing home value, which results in increased networth of a person…or the more usual conspiracy theories)…I really think that lowering home prices might be detrimental to some people…especially those who bought flats at very expensive rates and mortgages.
I dunno about you guys, but when everybody is talking about a private property bubble, i believe that the same is happening with the HDB flats…prices WILL keep rising, as everybody wants their flats to retain higher values. There will come a point where everybody wants to sell and no one wants to buy…and thats when the bubble pops…
auntielucia 10 May 2010
Myviewsarechallenging: poor uncle/aunt y u so rude? If u can qualify fr so many credit cards gooooood for u… but don’t 4get what Suze Orman said: “Can u afford it? R u out of your mind?”
LOL!
……………………………..
i say i used to own 15 credit cards..but i couldn’t afford to buy a simple hdb flat..how many singapooriums earned $30,000/annum? in case you don’t know it the MAS minimum requirement..
do you know in johore earnin 700 ringgits qualified you a credit card..
so in leekuanyew’s eyes if you don’t earned $30,000/annum you cannot buy a chenghuzhu (hdb flat)…
than what are the younger generations goin to live in? kallang river bridge or anderson bridge under?
Auntielucia,
-
A good attempt but the devil is in the details.
-
#1) – I believe Mabok Tan will tell you that the ‘housing grant’ you are suggesting is equivalent to the already ‘heavily subsidized’ HDB flat. It is the main point of contention between Mabok Tan and the people in determining whether flats are affordable or not. The ‘grant’ can be equated to the difference between HDB priced flats to those in the resale market.
-
#2) – Why 10 years? Why even the need to sell? Perhaps we might want to discuss why people are selling their flats and then address the underlying reasons first. Once we are able to address them appropriately, we might not even have to impose a minimum wait time to sell. People would be so happy with their homes that they won’t want to sell even if you point a gun to their heads.
-
I believe home ownership should be able to achieve this, that people would not want to give up their homes for anything in the world. In this regard, the government has failed. Why do people sell their homes the moment they become eligible for such sales?
-
#3) – I think the reverse is better. One should become a citizen first before he can buy a flat and not to let him buy first and then become a citizen within whatever time frame. It must be a COD transaction and not a BNPL one.
-
#4) – Any form of tax is no good but I do somewhat agree with this. Somehow I feel it might just control reselling, especially by greedy property investors.
-
#5) – Tell you honestly, if the government is building HDB flats with the flat owner in mind, there won’t be a need for private flats. So this one is out for me. It should build more Duxtons but with truly affordable price plans. This will be the true measure of how it takes care of its people. Building substandard flats and then enticing the people to buy private homes just does not add up.
Vivian will tell us that he is DEAF to all criticisms
I share Anonymous’ views that not all homeless are results of poor money management when there is hardly any money to manage.I have come across many families that work day and night to make ends meet with elderly sick and young to feed(and they don’t need spurs in their hides but sheer RESPONSIBILITIES for their love ones)Please don’t give the crap about LKY’s stop @ two for the lesser mortals in todays context. We are suppose to be FIRST WORLD and living with SWISS STANDARD.
What we have here is 1st World & Swiss standard for the ELITES,PRIVILEGE & Rich FTs while for the less privilege unrotunate citizens the Cantonese saying STANDS. ” LAY SAY LAI KE SEE “
They are always good to blame the people of their mistakes instead of solving the problem the government has created.
The problem in front of you is homelessness, get going and solve it. Not interested in the blaming game.
What rubbish!
The government and taxpayers cannot be picking up the pieces of everyone’s failed lives. I support the government’s emphasis on self-reliance. No welfare state here please.
We as a nation has really regressed. In the old days of kampongs, there was really no homeless. Everyone had a roof over their heads, well maybe a used zine roof and old wood, squating on a neighbour’s backyard or land. But today, we really have “homeless” amidst concrete HDb flats, we can’t really sleep in the void deck, technically.Who caused this , the government and not of these homeless situation whatever they maybe, its the policies. Vote them out people at the next election, because we could be the victim of another screwed up policy, we need an alternative to voice and speak for us.
@ Qijie 11 May 2010
“The government and taxpayers cannot be picking up the pieces of everyone’s failed lives”
Your posture offends all laws and decency of human dignity, particularly in Singapore’s context where the Government criminalised public homelessness. Talks of self-reliance is downright hypocritical of political chicanery and I am grievously offended.
Let me show you why.
There is a complete absence of law recognising economic rights in general and housing rights in particular. Until the financially-incapacitated forced homelessness, do these unfortunate fallen not paid tax to fund your and your family’s welfare by way of Government’s services to ALL MEMBERS of the community?
Nobody homeless in Singapore is stretching out a begging bowl asking for stingy donations from any quarter. But remember this – criminalising public homelessness is PUNITIVE AND EXCLUSIONARY of ALL their other rights. Without an address, how can they register the rights to vote? Even prisoners in many countries are allowed to vote. Homelessness is NOT a society-harm-causing crime of free voluntary behaviour! What happened to our highfaluting hypocritical pledge for 45 years of justice and equality? Once fallen on hard times, perhaps due to Government’s failed economic and social policy failures, should these people be cast aside in oppression of justice and equality because the rich and powerful political class somehow unconscionably decided that it was their absolute political prerogatives to oppress the weak and fallen due to their failures?? IT IS OBNOXIOUS IN THE EXTREME. If North Korea or China is better of “self-reliance”, then Singaporeans should all migrate there – not to “welfare” caring societies like USA, Canada or Australia where they at least recognised economic and housing rights of all WHO HAD PAID TAX AND MADE PAST CONTRIBUTION TO SOCIETY. To deny someone’s past contribution is the worst political chicanery of the most offensive depth.
And what about children of the homeless? ARE THEY BIGGER CRIMINALS than their homeless-forced parents. Without homes, what rights do they have of decent housing, welfare and education and how a homeless generation is a total needless devastation to themselves and our country, Singapore?? IS IT THE CRIMINALITY-TAINTED FAULT OF CHILDREN WHEN GOVERNMENT’S ECONOMIC POLICY FAILED???? WERE YOU NOT ONCE IN YOUR LIFE WAS A WORTHY CHILD OF THIS EARTH??
Remember V. Balakrishan say.. if you are poor and cannot afford food, we will send it to your table. WHERE IS THAT DINNER TABLE FOR HOMELESS KIDS where VB wants to send the food. HOPELESS HYPOCRITES of rhetorical exaggeration and no delivery of outcomes!!!
DISGUSTING, DISGUSTING AND DISGUSTING TO MY SANE THOUGHTS. Anyone want to disagree with me??
Anonymous,
-
It must have taken a lot out of you to pen those thoughts, what with the Caps and all.
-
I will be the first to AGREE with you. Every word of yours cuts like a knife through butter.
-
If anyone still have any doubt over the need to look after our homeless unfortunates, they should read with their hearts these words you have penned.
-
Thank you for making sense out of senselessness. Thank you for making those who still think the government is doing the right thing see reason, why it is our duty, and the government’s duty, to help them by.
-
I have said it too, that this government cannot shun its responsibility by shifting blame on the unfortunate.
-
This, it has been doing for the longest time. We will have to make them stand up and listen, if it has to take our votes to do so.
@gemami
It is CHILDREN who suffered the most. Were we ALL not CHILDREN once before??.
It is COMPLETELY INSENSITIVE to look the other way.
DISGUSTING!
People would be so happy with their homes that they won’t want to sell even if you point a gun to their heads
………………….
everyday everywhere in my daily simple life..kakis/peeps always want me to sell my belated parent’s leftover hdb castle
till today i alway give them the same answer..talk to my next of kin..
have a nice day…….